


A Dragon's Birthright

by Koriember



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Hoshido | Birthright Route, Hurt/Comfort, Redemption, Romance, The Future Past Timeline, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-07-13 02:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7134701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koriember/pseuds/Koriember
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>5 years after Hoshido defeats Nohr, Kana lives as her father's only source of warmth in the shadow of her mother's grave. When a king, self-exiled for his crimes against his sister and his country seeks to start anew, it's up to her to find the peace they both deserve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. C

 C

* * *

 

"So... this is good-bye, then?"

"..."

" _Morgan_."

"...If you see me again, then no."

Morgan turned from his rucksack where Lucina... no, _Exalt_ Lucina stood passively in his doorway, watching him almost condescendingly no more than six feet away. Not satisfied by his response, Lucina pressed further, taking a single step inside Morgan's room. The younger man didn't react, just watching blankly as his sister interrupted his solitude.

"Will I see you again, then?" she asked, not knowing how to word that question without sounding desperate. But then again, the situation _was_ rather requiring.

"No," Morgan replied simply, holding his gaze a few more seconds before turning back to his bag and resuming his packing. "No, you will not."

"Do you even know where you are going?"

" _Far_ _away_ ," he replied, not turning to answer. "Very far, and very away."

"That does not answer my question."

"I think it answers it sufficiently. What, is it not the answer you want?"

"You know full well what I'm asking of you."

"And you know full well the answer is no."

"What will it take for you to change your mind?"

Morgan looked at Lucina impassively before shaking his head.

"Can you somehow erase Father's grave? Or Mother's? Or perhaps the remnants of my broken nation? The scores of families from both my country and yours? If you can revert any trace of my failures, of our war... then I would have a reason to stay."

Lucina stuttered, not expecting Morgan to play that card so soon. "I..."

"That's what I thought," Morgan replied coolly, finishing up his knot and standing to face his sister. His face, while initially apathetic, flickered to a state of understanding before returning to its battered state, reminding Lucina of the brother she had before... everything happened.

"Is it too much to ask you to stay?"

"It means a lot to me that you still care," Morgan admitted, drawing a simple sword from his personal shelf and inspecting the blade, before nodding and strapping it to the outside of his ruck. "T-thank you," he added under his breath.

"We just found you a week ago. I can't let you go again. King of Plegia or not, you're the only-"

"-family you have left? I know that. And that's Grima's, and therefore my own, fault. I can't bring back Mother and I certainly can't bring back Father. But I can at least rid this world of the last guilty party that caused its suffering over these last few years. Plegia can find a new king."

Lucina sighed, looking at Morgan and reminiscing on how different he looked as opposed to before the tragedy struck. Gone were his cheery, innocent eyes. What were once shining with curiosity and eagerness were now dull and pained, more often than not bloodshot due to the copious amounts of alcohol in his system. His face, once synonymous with smiling and laughing was stern and gritty, with a hint of stubble that hid the fact that he was too young to have been through what he has seen. If she were to pull down his shirt just a little, they would both see the scar that Falchion had left when it embedded itself to the hilt into Morgan's chest, thus ending the second Plegian/Ylissean War.

"Can I come with you then?" Lucina attempted, knowing how stupid that question was even before it left her mouth. Morgan didn't bother to answer and chuckled softly, without any real sign of amusement.

"You never were good with jokes." Morgan turned to his other shelf, where a half empty flask of... something... lay waiting for its rightful owner to claim it once more.

"It wasn't."

"Care for a drink?" Lucina hesitated, but nodded in defeat.

"The last few things I would be able to do with my brother... I don't drink, but just this once, for our sake." Morgan grinned briefly and pulled up a chair to his study, grabbing two glasses and pouring equal amounts of the brown liquid to both.

"Cheers then. The Exalt of Ylisse and the King of Plegia, sharing a glass before the latter leaves before he can see what villain the scribes and historians turn him out to be."

Lucina glared at Morgan and sighed when he was already downing his glass by the time he finished his toast.

Clearing her throat, she proposed a newer, revised pledge.

"May wherever he finds himself give him the peace that he cannot find here. May he know that he is always welcome to my borders, no matter what he may think of himself. He is, and always will be, a Prince of Ylisse, a-and..." she stared at the glass solemnly, watching her own tears drip and splatter against the surface of her drink. Morgan looked at his sister and felt a pang of remorse, but shook it off.

"The last time I went to Ylisse's borders, a legion of Risen and Grimleal were behind me, a group of scared children were in front of me... and corruption was inside me. I'll take my chances on foreign shores."

"Please... do not go. I didn't fight this war just to lose you too," Lucina asked simply, leaving the glass stagnant in her hand. Seeing that, Morgan took it from her and downed it, not caring that he was literally drinking his sister's tears along with it.

"You already lost me the moment I thought I could bring Mother back."

"No... I would have-"

"Done the same? Please, Lucina. You wouldn't. It's not even your fault you stabbed me. Everything that's happened, it's my fault. Don't blame yourself if I have to leave."

"Well I'll be by your side now! I promise you-"

"Tell you what. I'll make you a deal," Morgan offered, deciding that Lucina deserved her wish. "I'll return _if,_ and that's a huge if, on one condition."

* * *

Morgan awoke in the middle of the night to light knocking.

"Huh."

The knocks repeated, the owner not heeding Morgan's outburst.

"Lucina, I already told you, I'm not-"

"Morgan?"

_That voice.._

"Nah?"

"Y-yep."

Morgan scrambled off his bed and put on something presentable, casting a quick illumination spell so it wasn't pitch black. "Be right there!"

"T-take your time," Nah's voice stammered, her normally reserved and calm tone sounding more jittery and nervous.

A few seconds later, Morgan opened the door, nodding at the shorter Manakete that stood on the other side.

"You are far from the worst thing a guy could wake up to," Morgan slurred, grinning sheepishly. Nah ignored the compliment and stepped closer.

"It's... been a while," Nah began, not knowing where to start. "I heard you were leaving tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

"Second thing," Morgan corrected, "after I say goodbye to everyone who cares to hear my farewells."

"So it's true then? You're not coming back?" Nah asked softly, looking at the grizzled... man, in front of her.

_No. He's still a boy. He's younger than me..._

"I shouldn't have shown my face in the first place. I was close to the gate too, until they found me. It's not polite to chase after a guy who was pronounced dead."

"I found you," Nah corrected. "and if I'm not mistaken, the first thing you did was cry on my shoulders, telling me you were sorry."

"Nah, that was because I realized I killed half my countrymen in a stupid war trying to resurrect my dead mother and father. Not to mention raised a blade to my own sister. It's a lot for a teenager to take in once the adrenaline wears off."

"And it has worn off, and you look horrible. I'm here to help."

"Where is this going?" Morgan wondered, scratching his stubble and tilting his head. "I've drank way too much and slept way too little for any serious talk. And even if the latter conditions weren't true, you're not taking me on any guilt-trips besides my own." Nah nodded, knowing how Morgan's recent habits have progressed.

"Here, maybe this will jog your memory." Placing a bundle of flowers in Morgan's hand, Nah waited for him to recognize it.

He stared at it for a while, before bringing them to his nose and closing his eyes.

"Naga's Bell," Morgan recalled, fiddling with the flowers and smiling faintly at the memories that came with them. "That... was quite the climb."

"You lied, saying that you found them by the road. But the blood on your knees and elbows explained otherwise..." Morgan nodded, before looking back at the shorter girl.

"And why bring this up?"

"Because even... even with what you've done, you're a caring person, even after all this, Morgan. I care for you, as does... some others. But you don't have to go. Not when I can help you."

"I actually do," Morgan yawned, looking at the starlit sky outside. "I don't suppose you'd be down for a walk? I'm sensing a deep talk and I'm going to need all the fresh air outside to comprehend it."

Nah lit up, eagerly grasping Morgan's hand and led him outside, both of them barefoot.

"How old were we back then?" Morgan wondered, thinking about his daring act of finding flowers for Nah. "It was a pretty steep request of Naga to tell me to climb that cliff. Maybe she wanted to off me, knowing what I'd do in the future."

"I was thirteen, you were twelve," Nah answered, walking slowly and looking at the ground. "Seven years ago, if you want the math."

"There are worse things you could subject me to," Morgan laughed, pausing at just how warm Nah's hands were.

"When I found you in the woods, dying from your wounds from Falchion, it reminded me of when you gave me those flowers. Underneath that brave facade was a simple, honest boy, who cared deeply for those that meant a lot to him." Morgan considered it and shook his head.

"Boys grow up. Boys can act their age. Boys don't cause the deaths of thousands of innocents under the banner of an unholy cause."

"No... they don't. Morgan never did that either. Grima did."

" _Morgan_ followed Grima willingly."

"She was your mother-"

"She WAS NOT MY MOTHER-" Morgan stopped himself, clutching Nah's hand tightly enough for her to feel his pain.

"My mother died an honest and loving woman," Morgan whimpered. "And I followed her image thinking that her resurrected body... she would be the person I grew up loving. Blindly. Recklessly. A boy would do a lot of things to get his mother back. But there's a point where desperation turns into destructiveness. I murdered, Nah. No mother would demand such from their child."

"I... I understand," Nah answered, still holding the Naga's bell in her other hand. "But I forgive you."

"An apology from the living won't give me respite."

"And why would running away from them do any better?"

"Nah, not everyone sees me as an innocent child anymore. I may be young, but I know the weight of my actions."

"It's a weight too heavy to bear alone," Nah offered, holding his other hand and placing the flowers in them. Morgan held her gaze, smiling at her soft brown eyes as they glimmered in the moonlight. His however, were too bloodshot to shine. "You were there for me. Now, I'm here for you."

"I won't be alone for long," the former tactician burped, politely fanning the stench of alcohol away from Nah with his free hand.

"I want to take care of you, Morgan."

"If I didn't kill my own countrymen, I would actually take you up on that offer. But, no. I'm afraid only death and loneliness are the companions suitable for my crusade towards whatever I deserve. That and this bottle of... whatever." Nah backed up, finally seeing how far down the path of depression Morgan was in. Only she could do something about this, Nah realized. Lucina didn't have the conviction, and no other Shepherd gave a dragon's ass about Morgan anymore. Owain even tried to kill him once or twice.

"I can't let you leave," she ordered, standing between the Plegian King and his room. Morgan didn't really care and smiled at her gesture. "I'm going to stop you if you try."

"That's fine," he waved dismissively, "if you kill me, then that saves me the pain of walking and starving."

"I'm not going to kill you, you big dummy," Nah whined, holding Morgan close to her small frame. "I'm going to help you recover."

"Not happenin-" Morgan's words were cut off when Nah pressed her lips against his, shutting him up as she stood on her tip toes just to reach the man. Almost recoiling from the sheer strength of alcohol and the prickliness of facial hair, Nah maintained her course until Morgan pushed her off.

"You didn't... kiss back?" Nah wondered in shock, before Morgan backed away.

"I was saving that for someone special, you know," Morgan hissed, wiping his lips. Nah stuttered backwards, still surprised at his reaction.

"For who? No one else will care for you like I do! No one else... knows what good you can do. What good you've done..."

"Probably," Morgan hiccuped, before pointing back to his room. " _However_ , there's a bottle in my room that's just begging for my company... c-care for a..." He didn't finish his slur; the alcohol finally reaching his head and he collapsed, drooling and groaning, on the hard tile.

"M-morgan... what happened to you?" Nah stammered, hoisting the larger man's body onto hers as she began the slow walk to his room. It was good that she was barefoot, or else her tears would've stained the leather of her shoes.

"I hope... you find peace, wherever you go, Morgan." Nah whispered, closing the door behind her as she left. Her bitterness disappeared, being forced away in hopes that Morgan would recover without her help. If she stayed a little longer, she would've heard Morgan stir back to life in his own bed, if only for a few seconds.

"I felt it holding your hand."

* * *

"You ready to go, hot stuff?"

Morgan rolled his eyes at Anna, nodding all the while. They were at the base of the Outrealm gate, the swirling portal a few feet away casting an eerie hum over the normally silent area.

"Drop me off at whatever wasteland you see fitting for one responsible for the murder of thousands of his countrymen."

Anna chuckled as she fiddled through her bag, looking for something within its depths.

"Alright then. You say bye to everyone yet?"

"No one wanted to hear it. Let's go."

Anna laughed, taking out a tome from her bag and opening up it all the while.

"Lucina asked me to find you a place where you would find peace. Lucky you, because I would have just dumped you somewhere in the ocean. You know how crappy business has been with everyone dead?"

The tactician's usual stare was replaced by an intense glaring, and Anna pursed her lips at his remark.

"I may be guilty, but those jokes don't sit well with me," Morgan spat, before softening up. "So, where has Lucina deemed fit for the desecration of everything she holds dear?"

"That's the surprise. Though... she didn't pick, she just ordered me to find somewhere where you would find recovery. Hope you don't mind walking a few miles towards civilization."

"I've been scraping by in the mountains with a sword in my chest ever since the war ended, Anna."

"R-right, I forgot. Oh well. Say hi to the other Anna's for me!"

With that, Morgan was pushed through the swirling energies and everything went black.

* * *

Kana decided today would be a good day to try her hair down for once, in honor of her mother's _death_.

She paused as the flashbacks came, but forced away the emotions with a forced smile. She would be strong, Kana reassured herself. It was the five-year anniversary since the war against Nohr ended, and Hoshido had a festival today to celebrate. Trying on her ceremonial armor, she twirled around admiring its shiny and sleek features before deciding something was missing. Sure, the armor was the exact same thing to the type her father wore, being Nohrian in design. But...

"Aha! I know just the thing!"

Reaching for the navy blue bandana she wore as a child, she folded it in half and tied it around her neck loosely, the knot behind her neck hidden underneath her shoulder-length sky-blue hair. While the two dog-ears of the bandana were more prominent as a child, Kana couldn't help but smile at the triangular blue cloth that hung underneath her chin. It matched so well with the cape her father, now Kana, wore. Twirling around again, she laughed as she danced on her bare feet, admiring her outfit.

"Well well! What do we have here? A Hoshidan princess wearing Nohrian armor?"

Kana turned around to see a very familiar face, grinning at the figure in her doorway.

"Hey cousin!" Shiro laughed as his younger cousin flew into his arms, nearly knocking him over from the weight.

"Hey to you too, Kana! Wow, you've grown quite a... bit." For a girl, Kana had grown quite... unexpectedly. She looked a splitting image of her father, if her father was to be a female, if that made sense. It didn't to him, but Kana just... matured. Shiro cringed at the thought of his precious cousin growing up, but decided time had done little Kana well. She stood nearly at his shoulders now!

"I want to say I know what that means, but let's just assume you were talking about my _height,_ " Kana replied with a smirk, spinning around for emphasis.

"As pretty as you've become," Shiro laughed in equal boldness, "I am not only your cousin, but a married man. Now please Kana, revert back to the kid that would not worry about suggestive implications and play games instead-"

"Beat you to it!" Kana yipped, leaping onto Shiro's shoulders with a childish roar. Well, as childish as being eighteen year old could sound.

"Rawr! The mighty ogre rises from the dead to prey upon apples that are too high from its reach! Haha!" Flailing her arms about, Kana laughed maniacally on Shiro's shoulders, nearly falling off from her rapid shifts in inertia, along with the unstable platform below her.

"Oh gods, my back!" Shiro grimaced under the weight, staggering to a knee before standing back up timidly. "Kana, off!"

Kana flew off Shiro's back and rolled rather clumsily before righting herself, laughing at the prone Shiro who clutched his spine in agony.

"Hehe, sorry cuzzo. Guess I got a little heavier since we last did that," Kana giggled, before helping Shiro back to his feet.

"You sure did," Shiro acknowledged, smiling at his blue-haired cousin. "I daresay you don't look much like the little girl who would pick apples off my back anymore." Kana nodded slowly, sighing as she sat in her chair. "Is something the matter?"

"It's been five years, cousin."

Shiro agreed with her sentiment, knowing what the anniversary shared.

"A lot can happen in that small amount of time."

"..."

"You look just as regal and beautiful as Auntie Azura did," he stated quietly, causing Kana to frown even further.

"It shouldn't be _did_ , it should be _does!_ Darn it... Why'd Mama have to..." she stifled her own tears, biting her lower lip and breathing deeply.

"Sorry cuzzo. I shouldn't have brought it up-"

"No. It's fine, really. If Papa can handle it without crying that much, then so can I!" Shiro smiled at Kana's bravery and patted her shoulder. Kana grinned through her sniffling and stood up, as if nothing had shaken her will. Shiro decided to change the subject.

"How is the old man, anyway?" Kana laughed at the thought, waving her arms around as she explained Prince Kamui's disposition.

"He still sticks to his room usually, reading and sometimes traveling around Hoshido. He never really goes out that much though. He... he didn't like how the war turned out. He's still traumatized by his actions," Kana narrated, thinking of her father and his rapid descent into a pitiful existence of depression and regret.

"He's strong, plus, he has a great daughter to take care of him," Shiro assured, patting Kana on the shoulder. The action jostled her bandana and she paused to re-tie it.

"Still wearing that blue thing?"

"Mama would put it around my neck when it was chilly outside," Kana explained. "Even now, I still feel... cold without it. I feel lonely, without it." For emphasis, she felt the cloth with her fingers, reminding her that it was there.

"I'm not complaining, it's like your trademark! Plus if it reminds you of your mother, then who am I to stop you! You've been wearing that thing since forever, and it's like a memento of your mother, just like that armor is your father's!"

"Y-yeah, I guess it is."

"So, how have _you_ been doing?" Shiro asked, poking Kana on the nose much to her annoyance.

"Hey! Well, I've been practicing the _violin,_ a Nohrian instrument, for today's performance, in honor of Aunt Elise who died during the war. It's a duet with Aunty Sakura, who's playing her _koto_!"

"I'll be thrilled to hear it. Find any _boys_ yet?"

"Oh please. Even if I found any... being a dragon is way more fun than... boys. Yuck!"

"Heh, say what you will, milady. Before you know it, you'll be holding a dragonstone in one hand and an engagement ring in the other!"

"Ew."

"Y'know, I know a couple of good guys-"

"No, I'm not interested in anyone," Kana guessed, anticipating Shiro's question before he asked it. The lance-wielder merely shrugged before poking Kana again.

"You'll find someone soon enough, pretty princess."

"Yeah, yeah, smooth-talker," Kana droned, thinking about who could possibly get along with a nutcase like her.

"Well, I gotta go. See you at the festival, yeah?" Kana snapped back to reality and nodded briskly, hugging her cousin good-bye.

"Yeah, see you there!"

* * *

"Papa?"

"O-oh, Kana," Kamui breathed, not expecting anyone in his room. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he smiled reassuringly at his daughter. Admiring her outfit, he touched her armor in reminiscence. "Wow, it's been a while since I wore that... it looks good on you."

Kana didn't mind that and instead held her father's shoulder. He was trembling, and by the looks of things, he didn't wake up on his own.

"The festival starts in a few hours," Kana notified. "Would you like some company?"

"Y-yeah," Kamui gulped, moving over on his bed for Kana to sit.

"Are you still having nightmares?" the daughter asked, holding her father's hand gently.

"Yeah."

Ever since the war ended and Azura died, Corrin, or as he demanded to call himself, 'Kamui' had changed from the optimistic, hopeful prince to one who had seen the bitterness of loss and war. He lost a wife, a child, a brother, and a sister to Garon's schemes. Then again, Shigure wasn't dead. He just ran away. But that made things even worse for Kamui, knowing his son was somewhere in the world, not needing his help.

At least his precious Kana was here.

"You look great in my armor," Kamui smiled, feeling his cape between his fingers and gazing at the sky-blue hair that his son and wife shared.

"What's wrong, Papa?" Kamui looked at the nineteen year old sadly, shaking his head.

"Just bad thoughts. Don't mind me."

"I'll do as I please," Kana smiled, hugging her father tightly. It was this physical contact that comforted the distraught prince at these times, and Kamui felt his heart rate lower back to normal levels.

"You shouldn't be forced to stick with me during the festival," Kamui decided. "You're a grown-up now. You should see the world through your own eyes. Explore it with your own feet." Kana smiled but held her father tighter.

"I _have_ seen it, Papa. And I've seen enough to know that you still need me around."

"I do, there's no getting around that. But... I want you to make your own choices too. I can take care of myself for a few hours."

"I doubt it," Kana laughed, "but if you insist Papa. I'll keep an eye on you from a distance!"

"Don't let me catch you," Kamui laughed, playing along with the joke.

"You'll be fine, Papa! Just... promise you'll watch my performance with Aunty Sakura!"

"Of course, Kana. I'll be there."

* * *

"Well, that wasn't too awful," Morgan hummed after concluding his rolling down a hill. Sure, it was steep, but Morgan had the illusion that he could navigate down the narrow path without much complication.

That is, until he tripped and fell nearly thirty feet onto his back. Wincing, he got up and stumbled for a while before shaking it off, his backpack absorbing most of the impact. Then again, his spine should have been shattered in multiple places, yet he was walking fine.

"Right. So where am I?"

Everything was stony and pale, and the sky overhead was cloudy and faint. To the distance, he saw green and lighter tones of orange and pink, so naturally Morgan decided to head in that direction.

"Miles of walking, psh. Anna, you could have done worse to me."

The walk was slow and uneventful. Morgan took his time, not in any rush to get anywhere. Flora and fauna sprawled all around him the closer he got to the irrigated soil, and the fallen prince admired the faint tones of life that had been so foreign to him in the abandoned woods of Ylisse.

No signs of human life thus far, aside from the few villages he saw scattered throughout the wayside. It was comforting to know that he wasn't just dropped off in the wilderness, at least.

"Then again... that wouldn't be too bad either."

"Talking to yourself, traveler?"

Morgan turned to see no one, and drew the sword on his back by reflex.

"Not anymore. Let's keep this brief, yeah? If you're here to rob me, stay out of the middle pouch. Everything else is free reign. I have... nowhere to be, actually."

"Strange. You don't look Nohrian, or Hoshidan," the man's voice stated, and Morgan narrowed his eyes to the treeline above.

"Green? Is it normal to have green hair here?" The man looked surprised and dropped down deftly, no weapons to be seen.

"I'm one of a rare breed, it seems. So, what brings a traveler like you to Hoshido? Here for the festival?"

"Let's say I am," Morgan supposed, sword still drawn. "I've never been to a festival myself, but yes, I'm here for the festival."

"You're not from Nohr or Hoshido, are you, stranger?" Morgan narrowed his eyes at the man's perceptiveness. He supposed telling the truth wouldn't hurt.

"No. I doubt you've heard where I've come from." The green-haired man raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"Oh? I've been to my fair share of strange lands over the years."

"Ylisse." The man stopped for a few seconds before grinning.

"Ah, that place. I remember."

"Wait, what?" Morgan stammered. They knew about Ylisse here?

"Come to think of it... your hair. It mirrors the other prince's hair quite fully. What was his name... Chrome? Chron?"

"Chrom," Morgan answered. "King of Ylisse, and my father. How do you know of us?"

"The real question is how you ended up in Hoshido," the man replied. "But to answer your question, Lord Corrin and I, along with some others, went through a portal a few years ago after some enemies fled through it. We met your father, as well as his knight and his sister on the other side."

"Frederick and Aunt Lissa. They're..."

"Yes, that was their names. You seem to have some familiarity with my home, as I do with yours?"

"Corrin. I remember Father muttering that name a few times. Alright, so my cover is blown. I'm not a native, and I don't know anything about a festival. Who are you?"

"My name is Kaze, retainer to Lord Corrin and ninja of the Saizo clan. As you can guess, you are in Hoshido. I can accompany you to this festival, if you'd like."

"I don't see why not," Morgan sighed, lowering his blade before sheathing it.

"Do you have a name, traveler? Or perhaps a story?"

"I'm Morgan, former prince of Ylisse, current King of Plegia."

"Current?"

"I... exiled myself due to actions committed against my sister, the Queen of Ylisse, in a war that cost me the near entirety of my country and hers."

"Interesting," Kaze remarked. "You don't look a lick above twenty, milord."

"I'm only nineteen," Morgan answered. "And I've seen my fair share of war and bloodshed to care less about formalities." Kaze nodded understandingly.

"So, you brand yourself a traitor, coming here to seek... peace?"

"Or death. Whatever comes easier."

"And here I am, bringing you to my lord. You might find that you would relate to him more than you would realize."

"I can't imagine he witnessed the destruction of his family, the void he created between his own blood. Dare I say, he probably doesn't know the scale of death that I have brought forth."

"Maybe... he does," Kaze answered, slowly but surely. "Perhaps on the way, you'd hear out his story."

"I'm all ears," Morgan droned, listening in intently. "And perhaps... you would hear mine."

* * *

And so, Morgan found himself in Corrin's shoes, finding Corrin, or _Kamui_ as he preferred, to be in a similar vein of despair as he did.

"So his sister and older brother died... by his own actions," Morgan recalled, thinking about his own battle against Lucina, how she had impaled him through the gut with Falchion on top of Ylisstol castle. How he had survived was beyond him.

"Yes," Kaze answered. "And you fought a war against your own sister, because your country needed a king."

"A selfish boy needed his mother," Morgan corrected. "And thousands died because of that foolish..."

"Perhaps it was selfish," Kaze consoled, "but it was not wrong."

"The deaths of my countrymen is very much wrong."

"I'm not saying their deaths were wrong. I'm saying that your desire to bring your mother back, your family back, was not wrong."

"I suppose... Kamui tried too, didn't he? And thousands paid the price for that naivety."

"He wanted to end the war without bloodshed. But as naive as that notion was, it was honest and pure. Just like yours."

"Hardly... but you're right, in a way. I can't- Whoa."

"Ah, I see you've noticed where the rocks and wasteland end, Hoshido begins. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my country, King Morgan."

Stepping into Hoshido, Morgan was impressed by the lively colors, scents, and sights to be experienced all around him. It was beginning to reach sunset, and the sky had paled into a beautiful pink which contrasted with the white and red's of Hoshido's architecture.

It took an hour or so to reach the main stretch of buildings, and by then the sunset had climaxed into a beautiful red, echoing Hoshido's walls.

"Welcome to Hoshido's capitol, Shirasigi. Perhaps I can have you meet Prince Kamui?"

"Sure," Morgan answered. "I have nothing to do, anyway."

"Very well, King Morgan. I shall be off, and will find you wherever you may turn out to be. Enjoy the festival!"

"Wait, before you go..."

"Yes, milord?" Kaze responded, polite as ever. Morgan paused, for once in his life, he was unsure in himself. He stuttered at first, but asked his question.

"Do you think... a traitor like me could rebuild my life here? Would Hoshido accept me?"

"That's for you to decide," Kaze answered cryptically. "But if you want the blunt truth? Yes. You can, and you should. And Hoshido would welcome one with a dark past seeking for a brighter future. Lord Kamui seems to be sheer proof of that."

The sounds of a violin being tuned were heard, and Morgan's head turned for an instant. Turning back, Kaze had disappeared into the crowd. Nodding to himself, Morgan cracked a small smile as he made way towards the sounds of music.

As the violinist's song began, Morgan meandered through the crowd to catch a glimpse of the performer. She stood on a raised platform, smiling a bright smile just as lovely as the song she was starting to play. Next to her stood a slightly older woman playing a strange instrument that Morgan could guess was Chon'sin in origin by the sound. Going back to the violinist, he noticed her out-of-place armor and the odd lack of shoes she seemed to be having. Seeing the performer and her graceful poise, Morgan couldn't help but be captivated by both her performance and her appearance. Then again...

"Does everyone here have such strange hair colors?"

* * *

"Now that's a hair color you don't see everyday," Kana wondered as her piece concluded, gazing at the blue-haired man who was watching her from behind a building. She caught his attention with a slight wave, catching him by surprise.

Shyly, but mustering in confidence, he waved back; the smile from Kana's mouth contagiously reaching his own.


	2. Chapter 2

B

* * *

"Ah, Lord Kamui. Allow me to introduce, uh..."

Kaze paused, pursing his lips in a frown.

"My apologies, but how would you wish yourself to be addressed?"

Morgan scratched his head for a while, sizing up Prince Kamui in front of him. The man was a few inches taller than the Plegian, but the way Kamui slouched made him look much shorter than he was. His red irises were only highlighted by the bloodshot nature of his eyes. Combine that with the faint bags underneath and Morgan pieced together that Kamui didn't get much sleep.

This was a man he could relate to.

"... Just Morgan," he replied, discerning Kaze or Kamui for a reaction. The ninja nodded, while Kamui pursed his lips. Nothing too disagreeable. "A pleasure to meet you, Lord Kamui."

"The honor is mine, friend," Kamui replied simply. "Your clothes and your appearance are rather foreign to me, but I will not press further. Not to appear rude, but is there a particular reason that I am meeting your acquaintance, Morgan?"

The way Kamui talked, the way his eyes darted away from Morgan's impassive gaze... Those were eyes that had had happiness taken away from them at their most vulnerable. They were Lucina eyes. Hopeful at one time in his life, only to be rewarded with tragedy. He knew that gaze well.

"Your retainer here displayed an opportunity for our paths to cross, when he found me wandering the wayside. But, if we're cutting to the chase, then here it is: I am a foreigner to this country, merely hoping to start a life anew..." After a brief pause, he added, "Here."

"I see," Kamui responded, still not too sure why he was talking to Morgan aside from the mediocre thrill of small-talk. "So you wish to start a life as a Hoshidan, then?"

"Or die trying, whichever works better." Morgan's words caught Kamui off-guard and he was met with a crazed glare from the prince.

"May I ask _why_ you picked Hoshido?" Kamui asked, feeling suspicious of the young man in front of him.

"I didn't," Morgan answered, meeting suspicion with calm poise. "I... I am on the path of an exile. I found myself here and will make due with what accomplishments I can achieve here."

"Pardon my rudeness-"

"I'm from Ylisse, before you ask."

"...I was just about to ask where you were from. And Ylisse? Oh, it has been a while since I visited that land so long ago. Say, your hair..."

"It was from my father, then Prince Chrom. You two crossed paths a few hours before the first Plegian war started. A pity you did not stay to see the triumphant result."

"You... you're a prince then? If Chrom was your father..."

"An exiled prince of Ylisse. If you must know. Chrom, my father, is dead."

"Dead?" Kamui paled, now knowing another of his companions had met an early end.

"Stabbed through by one of his most trusted, on the cusp of victory," Morgan recited, knowing full well how Grima had taken control of Robin and used her to kill her beloved.

"I see. And you are here..."

"I am a man without a family, Lord Kamui. A prince without a kingdom. I just want to live the rest of my lowly life in peace, if that is possible."

"Did... Ylisse fall with your father?"

"I'm afraid I reveal too much of my origins, milord. A prince must keep _some_ of his secrets from home."

"O-of course," Kamui reasoned. "Well then, I... I'll be the first to welcome you to my borders. Well, not _mine,_ Emperor Ryoma handles that well enough. But welcome, nonetheless."

"Much appreciated, Lord Kamui. Aside from that... I don't think you need suffer my presence any more than you should. Shall I be off to enjoy the festival?"

"Of course. You are welcome with us, if... nevermind. Farewell then."

Kamui nodded slowly, taking in Morgan's story for what it was. But suddenly, the Hoshidan lunged forward and grabbed Morgan's arm, and a chilling feeling shot up his nerves deep into his shoulder.

"W-what-" That icy jolt: when Grima first reached out and took control of Morgan, he felt the exact same chill.

"You're a _dragon_. I can smell it. Feel it," Kamui growled, his fangs particularly sharp in the moonlight. He was whispering harshly into Morgan's ear as to not attract attention from the festival goers. "Dragons and I don't get along very well."

"I share that sentiment," Morgan replied calmly.

"Hasn't your kind taken enough from me?" Kamui hissed, tightening his grip on the prince's wrist. Morgan winced but did not otherwise react.

"Milord, you misunderstand-" Kaze butted in, but Morgan raised his free hand in surrender, calling Kaze off.

"If Kamui wants to spill a dragon's blood, then I just found a solution that solves both of our problems." Twirling away from Kamui's iron grip, Morgan rubbed his wrist gingerly before rotating his shoulder. "But let's not make a mess in front of your own people. I would like to experience this festival before I pass into the unknown, if I may."

Confused as to why Kamui wanted to kill a mere stranger, Kaze was unsure how to pacify his charge. True, Morgan was quite an odd figure, but it didn't take much effort to see that he was enigmatic and powerful beyond his years. If he had dragon's blood, Kaze wouldn't be surprised.

Suddenly, Kamui's eyes seemed to clear up and he shook his head, groaning slightly. Looking at Morgan pitifully, he began to rapidly apologize.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Sometimes, when my dragonstone isn't in my possession, or when I think of _her,_ I get really... aggressive. I'm a dragon, if you haven't pieced that together. Well, half-dragon. But you are a dragon too. Aren't you? That's why I felt so bloodthirsty all of a sudden. I haven't smelled that scent ever since. uh, Azura died. Ever since Garon forced her hand."

"I know of your tragic story, Prince Kamui. And while I do have dragon blood coursing through me... I also know what it feels like to have so much power... corrupt you. But, you know why I am here now. Even _I_ want another chance, even if I don't deserve it."

The Hoshidan seemed to catch Morgan's drift and nodded slowly, not delving into it further.

"So... I guess I'm not the only dragon who denies their birthright," Kamui mused. "And you are a dragon, just the same as me, denying the seduction of power."

Morgan paused in his tracks, merely igniting a purple flame at his fingertips before extinguishing it for emphasis. Kamui took the hint and crossed his arms in curiosity.

"I see. Well, Morgan, if it's a fresh start in Hoshido that you seek, then by all means, welcome to Hoshido. I'm... not as big a political figure as the rest of my family, due to my nature... but the district I live in _is_ quite peaceful. I wouldn't mind another neighbor."

Genuinely intrigued, Morgan took up the offer wholeheartedly, nodding his agreement.

"This place is beautiful. I've seen nothing but deserts and death my whole life... it'd be a nice change."

"Tales for another time," Kamui mused. "But another time may come soon. I- Kaze, Silas, do you think you two can prepare dinner for our small group after the festival?"

"I will see to it," Kaze promised, knowing full well that ninja cuisine was rather substandard.

"Sure thing milord," Silas replied, already dreading the diminishing hours. Oh, how he despised cooking.

"Great!" Kamui exclaimed, brighter than usual. "Well, Morgan, seeing as you already know my life's story, perhaps you may join me and my little household for dinner tonight and share yours?" Morgan shrugged, not caring but accepting the offer anyway.

"It's not your usual happy-ending bedtime story. I don't want to dampen the mood any more." Kamui only grinned back and placed his hand on Morgan's shoulder, gently this time.

"That's because we haven't found our happy-endings yet," Kamui assured, speaking more for himself than for Morgan. "It's settled then! Once the festival-"

"Father, what happened?"

Morgan turned his head to see the wonderful violinist from before skip over to Kamui. Not regarding Morgan due to her concern for her father, she tossed her cerulean hair behind her head as she attended to the prince. Glancing at Kaze, who didn't say anything, then to Silas, who remained silent in the back, she finally faced Morgan, who was waiting patiently, gawking at the creature in front of him.

"Hey! You're the guy I waved to!" Kamui turned to Morgan, frowning now.

"I thought you were waving at me," the prince admitted, before addressing the Plegian. "Do you know her?" Morgan shook his head.

"From what your retainer Kaze told me, plus what I just heard... this is your daughter, right? Never did get a name, though." Kana gasped at the stranger's seemingly young voice, and upon closer inspection, realized just how youthful the blue-haired man was.

"Kana. Princess Kana of Hoshido," Kana replied with rehearsed eloquence. "A pleasure to meet you..."

"King Morgan of Plegia, formerly prince of Ylisse," Morgan hesitated, not treating his title with nearly the same reverence as Kana did. Kamui perked up at hearing Ylisse's neighbor and enemy, but not as much as he did when he heard his title.

"King?!" Kamui exclaimed, not believing the young man. "You are certainly getting more interesting by the minute, young dragon."

"Dragon?!" Kana exclaimed, glancing back at Morgan. "Now I definitely need to hear your story."

"Oh, you'll get your chance," Morgan huffed. "But I can't promise that you'll like it." The princess perked up at Morgan's promise to her father but didn't venture further.

Well, Morgan didn't look much like a king. His cloak, battered and frayed, bore strange markings that were seemingly bleached out on purpose. His hands were scarred, and she saw the faint linings of bandages around his upper torso, where the shirt opened slightly.

He looked more like a war survivor than a ruler. But then again, she wasn't one to judge. She was a dragon, for crying out loud. A dragon trapped in a teenager's body.

"Father, are you enjoying the festival?" Kana asked eagerly, to which Kamui nodded. Gesturing to the violin in her hands, he made sure to give her his regards.

"Your duet with Sakura was beautiful. I am feeling a bit weary, though. I'll be heading home and then we can have dinner with Morgan, there. Is that alright?"

"Are you unwell? I can come with you-" Kamui shook his head, smiling at his retainers and gesturing to both Silas and Kaze at his side.

"I'm in good company, my dearest. Now, remember what you promised me? You have a festival to attend, strictly in the absence of myself. Don't let me catch you following!" he added teasingly.

"Sure!" Kana replied quickly, still curious of the 'King' in front of her. "I'm sticking around for a few hours or so and then I'll be home for dinner."

"Why don't you show Morgan around?" Kamui suggested, already turning to leave. "He's a stranger here. A foreigner, actually. Show him around the festival and then bring him to our house for dinner!" Morgan watched as the two exchanged plans, currently regarding him. He just decided to go with it, seeing how friendly Kana was and Kamui's willingness to help him get started.

"Sounds like a plan! I'll meet you in a couple hours then," Kana briefed with a wave.

And then Kamui was gone, both retainers in tow.

* * *

Morgan walked quietly alongside and slightly behind the princess to his right, observing her sprightly demeanor and how her eyes would turn from side to side, taking in every last sight of the festival.

"Your sweat bears a similar scent to what my father's does when he feels depressed. Do you drink often?"

Taken rather off guard by the abrupt question, Morgan stifled a laugh before opening up the conversation that had started most obtusely.

"Y-yes. Yes I do- did. I did. Not anymore. If I'm starting anew, I have to leave everything behind, don't I?"

"Sure, I guess. I don't know too much about that stuff. But if you're starting over, then I don't really know too much either about that sort of thing."

Unsure why he was getting so deep and honest with Kana, Morgan shook his head and forced on a calm smile.

"You know, Papa often wakes up with near-crippling headaches or sometimes not at all. It takes me or one of his retainers to stir him awake, so engrossed in his nightmares he is. It is scary, to say the least."

"He looks like a guy that has seen too much for what was good for him."

"He deserved a better outcome."

"Don't we all," Morgan mused, curious to delve deeper into Kamui's story and the loss he has suffered over the years.

They were walking on the boulevard, some tents and stands still flying proudly in the night, while others were starting to be taken down.

"Looks like I missed the main events," Morgan sighed in pity. "Ah well. I'm still young. Plenty more of these to attend... There _are_ more of these, right?"

"Festivals?" Kana wondered, to which Morgan nodded. "Yep. Hoshido loves to celebrate. Every day is an occasion for happiness, so they say. Hoshidans just exaggerate their happiness to the limit, at times."

"That seems wonderfully bland," the Plegian countered. "Living away their lives in bliss? But who am I to judge, right?"

"You have me at a loss," Kana retorted. "I barely know anything about you. Or anyone like you, really."

"And I know exactly one person who can play the violin at your level. He tried to kill me once. So now, _you're_ the best violinist I have had the pleasure of conversing with."

"An honor, I'm certain," Kana bowed graciously. "But really. Papa seems to relate to you, judging by how he was reacting when he caught your scent."

"You saw that?"

"I keep an eye on him, it's a habit," Kana explained.

"Let's just say you and I are equally human."

The Hoshidan princess took a while to figure it out, but her eyes widened in surprise when she pieced it together.

"So... you're a dragon too! And one that isn't bringing doom and destruction to humanity, at that!" she exclaimed rather spontaneously, grinning ear to ear. Morgan decided to let Kana's delusions fly before he shot them down.

"Unfortunately, that's about as accurate a description as any to my story."

"Hm? But... you aren't a bad dragon, are you?"

The words sounded horribly naive from someone as old as Kana, but Morgan nodded anyway.

"Even worse, actually: a bad human. A bad son. A disgrace to the two who raised him. But... you'll hear that story tonight. I don't want to ruin too much of your expectations of me." Kana snorted and adjusted her bandana before turning aside.

"Well, Morgan, if I were to be a judge of character, you aren't a bad person from what I've seen."

"Pray what you see of me now is all that you'll ever," Morgan warned.

"I've seen a lot of bad things. I'm not a kid," Kana returned just as broodingly.

"And I've done a lot of things _as_ a kid," Morgan responded. "But... I'm not here to boast about my sins. I'm here to start anew or die. Either or."

"Die? B-but, you seem perfectly fine! I'm sure you'll find a way to continue!"

Appreciating the concern, Morgan let himself smile just a little.

"That's my overall hope, Kana. But, if fate would have me dead in my next heartbeat, then I would not complain."

"...I would. You seem like a pretty neat person to know. Don't you have friends?" Morgan cringed at Kana's unintended insult, but the truth struck home and he felt something inside die a little.

"I... don't think I do anymore. Not many on this planet like to enjoy the company of people like me."

"Papa used to have that problem. So did I, I guess. But even if there was a way to bring Mama back, I don't think I could've done it. After my brother left... I felt like a failure of a daughter-"

"You don't have to tell me," Morgan interrupted gently. "I see your pain well enough in your eyes. I hear it in your voice. But what I've seen from how you take care of your father... well, I wish I was a tenth of the loyal child you are."

"Heh," Kana laughed weakly, before smiling back at the fallen King. "Someone's gotta take care of Papa after what he's been through. Even if that someone is his own daughter. _Not_ a child, though, I'll have you know."

"17?" Morgan guessed.

"18," Kana corrected pridefully. "And how about you? Surely a King your height can't be that old."

At the word 'King,' Morgan flinched visibly but did not waver his smile.

"19," he admitted.

"Whoa," Kana breathed. "I had a feeling you were around my age... but really? I mean, Uncle Leo was crowned King at only 17."

"I don't know much about him, but the fact that he's still on his throne means he's already a better ruler than I."

"Oh, don't say that," Kana encouraged, sizing up Morgan's mood. Was he putting on a front? Or was he just prone to sudden shifts between morose and pleasant moods?

"Very well," Morgan acquiesced, before stopping his stride.

"Is something the matter?"

"It's... nothing I can't handle. But... Is there a food vendor around?" Kana nodded and glanced quickly before leading Morgan to a food stand. "Don't take too much. We still have dinner later with Papa."

"Here we are. This is your first taste of Hoshidan food, huh?" Checking her coins before she stepped to the cart, the owner greeted her warmly before she made her order. "Two bowls, please. This is his first time eating Hoshidan food! Make it great!"

The cook promptly produced two equal bowls of noodles, and Morgan found himself intrigued by both the texture and the scent of the foreign meal.

"I hope you like ramen," she added after a pause. Handing the bowl to him, she watched him fumble with his chopsticks before getting the hang of it right off the bat.

"Does it taste funny?" she asked too late, and Morgan shook his head.

"I'm not a picky eater." Slurping the first bite, his eyes closed and he contemplated the taste. At first, his lips and eyes were blank, but suddenly they respectively pursed upwards and closed, as he appeared to be in pain.

"Heh, not a fan? I was sure you'd like it. It's my favorite-"

"It's weally hotahhh-" Morgan gasped, trying desperately not to spit out the boiling noodles but at the same time trying not to sear his tongue.

"Oh, hot!" Kana yelped, forgetting that Morgan had no idea what he had just put into his mouth. "Just swallow!"

"Two steps... ahead. Ow, my tongue. Do you guys normally eat it like this?"

"Well," Kana admitted, "I enjoy my food fresh off the fire. I dunno, dragon instincts or something?"

"We do not share that taste then, I'm afraid," Morgan teared, wishing for an early death to relieve the tingling on his tongue. Taking another bite after blowing on it for a considerable time, he appeared pleased at the second try. His grin was evident and it spread to Kana as she watched him try her favorite food.

"Do you like it?"

"It is quite flavorful. Much better than my usual cuisine as of late. Wow, this is really something." This piqued Kana's curiosity and she couldn't help but ask her questions.

"What would you usually eat wherever you were from?"

The king merely shrugged.

"Leaves. Bugs, roots... anything a wanderer can find, you know? Gets flavorless after the first several days alone. Those noodles were a nice welcome back to civilized eatery."

Kana cringed at Morgan's diet. He was a king, wasn't he? What kind of king... ate like that?

"I don't mean to be rude, but isn't that sort of _not_ food... I mean, stuff like that is-"

"...Reserved for animals? Yes, I agree. And I consider myself particularly privileged to have dined among such high society."

"I can see you do not see yourself in the same light that I do," Kana observed blatantly.

"I can assure you, princess; If you saw me in the same light the rest of Ylisse does, you would be sharing their queen's reaction."

"Which was?"

"Stabbing me through the heart with the same weapon that killed my mother. Poetic, isn't it? Certainly felt poetic with a three foot blade coming out of my chest. Just kidding. It really hurt. And not just physically. Oh, that emotional impalement. I don't remember crying that hard in my life."

* * *

"Brother, I don't want to do this, and I know you don't either," Lucina warned. She had her back to her throne, with what was left of the Plegian army following their king's lead. Said ruler, Morgan the Mad, had his blade outstretched, ready to do battle with his opponent, his beloved sister, Lucina.

"Ah, but we have to, don't we? You're not going to give me the Fire Emblem, and I've lost too many of my men to to back down. Come then, Sister. I vow not to shame your skills."

"You shame our heritage," Lucina snarled, drawing Falchion fluidly before pointing it at her brother.

* * *

Morgan laughed, gurgling on his blood when he realized that Falchion, the blade that Lucina had wielded to kill their mother, was now buried to the hilt in his own heart.

"Damn it. Looks like I failed you, Mother... Father..." He collapsed to one knee, refusing to give up just yet. He was so close... he could still...

No he couldn't.

He would never bring back Robin and Chrom, or the Ylisse he loved.

Instead, he gazed up to see Lucina, tears and all, catch him in her arms.

"Morgan... why?"

Why indeed? She understood his goals, and he hers.

The good guys just _have_ to win every time, was that it, Naga?

"First you kill Mom. Now you kill me. Ah, Lucina. I guess being an... orphan was not e-enough."

"D-don't say that... You knew I had to."

She did. History would portray Lucina the Exalted as a hero on this day forevermore. She saved Ylisse from Plegian filth, just as her father before her.

And once more, a Mad Plegian King would fall at Falchion's blessed bite.

"I did, admittedly... And I did what I had to, too."

Almost won, too.

Maybe after he woke up, Morgan would work on his sword work. His ripostes were always sloppy. His left foot always overextended. And...

_Who am I kidding. I'm not surviving this._

"I'm so sorry... I wish-"

History would never admit that Morgan died in Lucina's arms crying just as shamefully as she was. The books, the songs, the bards: they would never tell the tale that Morgan reached up for Lucina's hair, comforting his dearest companion in his own dying moments.

"Shh, sister. You did the right thing. You were-"

Brave.

Courageous.

...Right.

_Damn it, you were right._

"Morgan, please... don't leave me here alone."

But he did.

On that day, exactly two years after the second Plegian-Ylissean war started, it ended. In the burning throne room of Ylisstol, Exalt Lucina killed her brother, Morgan the Mad, in a one-on-one duel to the death over the possession of the Fire Emblem. As history would later portray, good triumphed once more.

Most of the Plegian prisoners of war killed themselves, seeing at how futile their cause had turned out to be. Grima would never be resurrected.

And yet, a year later, her son, Morgan the Mad, was.

But history would never know that. Instead, King Morgan received a last instance of clarity just before his second knee fell, preluding the rest of his corpse. In his dying moments, he looked at Lucina, backed up against her throne, and smiled. And history actually got that moment right, down to his last words.

"I guess... you were the better of us after all."

* * *

"So that explains the bandages hidden under your shirt," Kana blurted, interrupting Morgan's story. The fallen king didn't seem to mind as he downed his fourth bowl of ramen instead.

"It's healed quite nicely, judging by the gaping hole that was there before" Morgan boasted, "It hurts from time to time, but what would one expect from a full sword embedding itself through you?"

"One would expect you to be dead," Kamui answered. "I believe your story, as... tragic and heart wrenching that it was, is a bit... inconsistent. How are you here?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Morgan admitted. "I think that maybe Naga wants to give me another chance, seeing how Grima took away my life. Either that, or I have a lot more deaths to make up for and this is my penance."

"But why leave your sister? Is Lucina not alive either?"

"She is... she is," the Plegian answered solemnly. "But... I can't live in that castle anymore. Not after what I've done."

"So you ran," Kamui continued, rather bluntly. "Ran and found yourself here."

"...Ran and found myself here," Morgan nodded. "The cowards' way out."

"..."

"..."

"If it makes you feel any better... I would do anything to bring back everyone my damn war has taken from me. Mother, Elise, Xander, and... Azura. I don't think you were in the wrong. If I had an opportunity like you did, maybe I would've done it."

"Maybe you would," Morgan reasoned, "But maybe you would stop yourself before you fell down that abyss like I did. Pray that that dark never holds onto you like it did me..."

"No guarantees," Kamui joked lightly, "but the dark of night is feeling rather tempting right now. I'm fancying a long quiet sleep. Kaze, Silas, do you guys mind if Morgan uses the guest room?"

"I see no problem with that," both retainers replied. On cue, they both rose from their seats and got to preparing the room for Morgan's use.

"Well, then, until we find a way to get you a place of your own, you are welcome here. And... thank you, for your story. It makes me feel a little better, knowing that there are others wiser than I who have been forced to wander the grey roads of choice alone."

"From what I've seen, Lord Kamui, your story has a much better ending than mine. But that doesn't make it a happy one. You have a wonderful daughter at your aid, if I recall correctly..." he glanced at Kana who winked at Kamui. "But I'll be glad to help in whatever you need until I am ready to move on. As of today, King Morgan of Plegia is at your service, Lord Kamui. The honor is mine."

"Haha, we'll see about that in the morning. Let's get to bed, everyone."

* * *

"I can hear you."

"I know."

Morgan sat up from his bedroll, eyeing the tiptoing Kana as she made her way to his side and to a sitting position across from him.

"You can't sleep?"

"Of course not. How do you guys sleep without beds?"

"Eh, you get used to it in time."

Morgan scowled but disregarded it. It was comfy, yes, but still a bit foreign. Well, he was in a foreign country. So, he decided to address the next biggest oddity in the room- Kana.

"So, why are you here? Yes, I can't sleep, but I didn't expect a guest. Even one as bubbly as you."

"You never finished your story. You promised Lucina that you'd come back to Ylisse, on one condition. If... I may ask, what was it?" Morgan stared at her in silence, before laughing bitterly.

"Impossible, was what it was. I gave her a demand so... ludicrous, that it would never happen no matter where I ended up. So if you're so worried about your new friend leaving you, don't worry about a thing, Kana."

"I-I _would_ be upset, I guess, but if I knew that your sister would have you back, I think that would be quite fine."

"That's right," Morgan realized. "You had a brother... too."

"He's still alive," Kana hoped, more to herself than to Morgan. "But... he doesn't like Papa very much. Shigure thinks..."

"I know," Morgan interrupted. "You don't need to tell me."

"But _you_ need to tell _me_ something, Morgan."

"Oh, what I promised Lucina before I left?"

"Yeah! How would I get you to come back to your sister?" Kana asked curiously, her red eyes glinting the pitch-black interior. She saw how Morgan smiled at the thought, how his brown eyes danced a little in place before he answered.

"All our lives, Lucina and I were raised that there were two dragons. One that was responsible for good, Naga, and one that was responsible for evil, Grima. However, they could not _feel_. They simply _did_. What they did, what they caused were not due to base things like emotions or intuition, but simply, their function."

"Huh?"

"All this happened because I fell for the schemes of dragons. Lucina and I are half dragon as well. I promised that if I could find _one_ dragon that is capable of love, of compassion, and sympathy, then I would be able to, too. I would learn from it, and one day, return to Ylisse not as a bringer of war and death, but as the Prince and King my people deserved."

Morgan trailed off, before Kana realized that he was staring at her.

"W-what?"

"Wait..."

"That didn't make much sense," Kana thought, not piecing together-

" _You're_ a dragon. The nicest one I've ever met."


	3. Chapter 3

A

* * *

Morgan's eyes shot open to the sound of some sort of heavy pounding. There was an ominous thud, and another, and another, and they were growing closer and closer with every passing-

"Rise and shine, Morgan!"

_It's like my very own Cynthia._

"I'm already rising and shining, Princess Kana," Morgan groaned, stretching out his back and wincing at the pain that came with such a maneuver. "No thanks to your suspiciously loud footsteps. Do you always walk with hammers on your feet or are the floorboards just made of pans?"

"Eh, our house tends to echo like that," Kana reasoned, kidnapping Morgan's blanket and hauling it towards a pile of other laundry. "Unless it's haunted. Y'know, it could be haunted."

"In that case, I'd best make a living for myself and move out of here," the Plegian vowed with a mocking smile, rubbing sleep from his eyes and rising to his feet. "No offense," he added quickly.

"None taken."

"Speaking of work, I'd like to repay your father's generous hospitality thus far. Have any thoughts of jobs I can take up?"

"He said he has something planned for you later on, so don't you worry. Though, he didn't say when specifically, so I hope you don't mind boring housework for now."

"Well, as long as I'm living under this roof, I'd best clean up whatever's beneath it," Morgan reasoned.

"True, that," Kana agreed. "Hmm, maybe you can help me with something? Gotta start you off _somewhere."_

"Just point me in a direction and I'll get to it," Morgan said through a stifled yawn. "I'm not one to complain, especially now."

"Well, you can start by helping _me_ then! Papa doesn't wake up until well after sunrise, especially after a rare full night of sleep."

"You were monitoring?" the King asked incredulously.

"Have to," Kana sighed. "Gotta watch him for night terrors and all."

"Oh," Morgan quickly excused, nodding nervously in understanding.

"Anyway, could I bother you into helping me prepare breakfast? Kaze and Silas are training and later they'll be heading to town for reasons not yet disclosed, so it's up to us... well, me, to prepare breakfast for everyone when they get back!"

"I don't remember the last time I've cooked anything," Morgan realized. "But like I said, I'll do as I'm told."

"Great!" Kana yipped, skipping down the hallway, her footsteps sounding hollow thuds off the wooden floor. "Right this way then!"

* * *

"So, what was Lucina like?" Kana began, starting a small fire underneath her pan.

"Huh?"

"Your sister? Her name's Lucina, right?"

"Yeah, but what do you want to know about her?"

"Was she mean? She sounds mean."

"Mean? No... not really. More like strict," Morgan decided after a pause. "Everything a princess ought to be, if fairy tales are any indicator of character. She was courageous, strong... and right."

"Right?"

"I knew I had no chance of beating her, nor did I have the resolve to do so. And yet... looking into her eyes on the day I died, I knew it was already over. Even with the walls of my home burning around me, I knew I already lost."

"You seem to have a lot of respect for her nonetheless," Kana noted.

"Of course," Morgan added quickly. "She was the best big sister you could ask for. I think she'll make a wonderful Queen, now that I'm gone."

"It's not too late to see her reign first-hand," Kana offered.

"No," Morgan agreed. "But I made my own decision to leave, despite the few voices saying otherwise."

"Do you even have a way back to your home?" Kana asked, causing Morgan to nod, pulling out a necklace with a crystal as its ornament.

"I wonder why I still wear this, even now. I should have thrown it away the moment I found myself here."

"But you don't want to."

Morgan paused, before nodding sadly.

"No. Not at the moment, nor the foreseeable future."

"Well, if you change your mind, you should tell us right away!"

"Y'know, Princess Kana, you're awfully nosy."

"Well you're awfully broody!" the Princess retorted, sticking her tongue out.

She paused, looking back to her companion.

"Well, come to think of it... I guess you're right. Sorry, I didn't mean to be insistent like that-"

"...I don't want to go back," Morgan sighed, pouring rice grains into a pot. "I'm no King, no Prince, no Brother. Not anymore. I lost the right to all those titles the moment I betrayed the people who trusted in me."

"Well, I can't help you with that. Now, you're a Hoshidan!"

"Ha. Well, I suppose I am."

Kana hummed nonchalantly, nodding along as the crackling of fire and the sound of Morgan measuring water were the only sounds audible.

"What was Shigure like?"

Kana lowered her spoon, immediately closing her eyes.

"On second thought, never mind. I'm overstepping," Morgan realized, backing off.

"He... He kept to himself, mostly. He loved to paint... I have one of his paintings in my room..."

"Princess-"

"N-no, it's fine!" Kana attempted, picking up her utensil and resuming her cooking. "It's... fine."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I asked about your sister, it's only fair you ask about my brother..."

"I have no right. I'm a guest here, and it wasn't my place to ask."

"He liked animals. Always found him in the woods somewhere, with deer or birds around him. It was almost... serene."

Another pause.

"Luci loved horses and Pegasi- you call them Tenma. She always loved being in the stables after a day of training."

"We liked them too. Still do, but we don't really have many Tenma here, ever since the war. They sense the fear in the new riders, and not many of them fly around anymore."

Kana hummed again, noticeably darker than before. Morgan capped off the rice and ignited a fire beneath it using his hand, nearly incinerating the pot before he toned it down in time. Kana laughed and pointed at the purple flames that were fading orange.

"How do you do that?"

"My mother taught it to me, before she died."

"Is it a dragon thing?"

"Regrettably. It's called _Ignis_ , or Fell Breath. I probably shouldn't do that here."

"I can't remember the last time I've used my dragon powers for anything," Kana realized, hiking her right hand into her pocket and looking at the dragonstone within.

"One of my old friends had a dragonstone," Morgan recalled, images of Nah flashing for a brief moment. He closed his eyes, letting the memory fade into the back of his head.

Kana shrugged, flexing her arm and shifting it into a spear-like appendage, then back to her humanoid form. "Nothing _useful_ ever came from it."

"Hm," Morgan nodded, relaxing in the kitchen chair and waiting for the rice to finish. "Dragons weren't meant to coexist with a peaceful life, it seems. Maybe it's a human thing."

"That's what everyone says," Kana sighed. "But I believe that in history, there's a place and time where dragons helped humans instead of subjugating them."

Morgan scoffed, quickly reeling it in when Kana glared at him.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"It's my honest view. I looked up to dragons. Still do."

"Do you honestly believe that they have benefited humanity? While mankind sat around banging rocks together and throwing sticks, the dragons corralled us like sheep to a slaughter. We... were just pawns in their games."

"I'd like to think otherwise," Kana replied softly, recalling Morgan's promise to Lucina. "They have hearts too. Even if they don't beat the same rhythm as ours."

"Humans have hearts. _We_ have hearts," Morgan corrected. "Dragons... they don't feel, they don't regret. What you feel, what I feel... that's our human half doing that."

"That means dragons need humans."

"No, it means humans are better off with humans and only humans. We... _I..._ didn't need the meddling of dragons in my life. All they've ever brought me is heartbreak and loss."

"But dragon blood flows within you, doesn't it?" Kana asked softly.

"Pumped by a human heart."

"Papa hates dragons now, and I'm under the slight impression that so do you. But _I_ still have to believe that they're not out there just to make our lives worse."

"Why?"

"...I grew up reading stories about dragons and how they've helped humankind throughout history. I have to believe at least one of those instances... were true."

"Those were myths. Delusions of grandeur by people too simple to explain human nature to themselves. Even if they've ever helped us, I doubt it will ever happen again."

"I'm starting to think that you're right," Kana sighed. "But looking back on it now, I loved the stories about dragons the most out of all my books, because I thought they were... better. Better than us."

"Humans aren't too great either, if that's where you're going."

"The most wonderful things in the world are thanks to humans. But some of it... had to be from something other than us."

"Why?"

"Because humans... are forgotten way too easily."

"Huh?"

"When M-mama died, it's like she was taken from our memories. Barely anyone talks about her anymore except me and Papa. It's like... she's forgotten! I," Kana stifled a sob, but Morgan didn't make any attempt to comfort her. "But I look back on stories that have to be hundreds or thousands of years old... and those people are immortalized. Why?"

"I... can't tell you."

"In ten years, maybe twenty, no one will even remember that my mother, Azura, Princess of Hoshido, sacrificed her life and saved her country! All they'll remember is war. War and death, and not the martyrs who ended them."

"Humans weren't meant to coexist with war either, we both know that much."

"Mama saved the world! Why doesn't anyone realize it? No one even remembers she existed!"

Footsteps echoed into the kitchen, forcing the conversation to stop abruptly. A few steps later, Morgan and Kana were greeted with a very tired Kamui.

"Breakfast? Is it almost done?" the Hoshidan prince asked, oblivious to the two cooks arguing.

"Y-yes, Papa. Almost."

"Thank you," Kamui greeted to both Kana and Morgan. "I'm oddly hungry this morning, and we're going to be expecting guests soon."

"Oh?" Kana asked, feigning focus towards her pan.

"Sister Camilla is coming along with her retainers. I haven't the slightest idea why."

* * *

"It's just like riding a Pegasus!" Selena taunted to the assassin behind her, flourishing the reigns confidently. "I got this!"

"Wyverns do not share flight patterns with Tenma," Beruka noted without influction, "Which explains why you keep putting us into extended dives and climbs instead of simply flying straight."

"Aw, shut up, you," the redhead scoffed, veering right towards Camilla. "Any idea if we're close? We passed the chasm-thing a few minutes ago!"

"Be patient, dear Severa," Camilla laughed, causing the rider to blush.

"D-don't call me that!"

"It's your fault you let your true identity slip," Beruka joined, her face hinting at a smile.

"S-still! I'm Selena! It's a prettier name."

"Severa suits your personality more. I... what's the word? _Prefer_ it," the copilot added, with a small laugh. "Yes. It sounds fitting for someone like you."

"Ugh. There isn't anyone like me."

"Severa sounds like a name someone like you would have, in the event that there was."

"'Ruka, have I mentioned that your jokes aren't getting any better?" Selena asked teasingly at the assassin.

"Your insults have no effect on me. Like poisons and disease, I have built up an immunity to your sharp tongue over the years, inoculating myself in your company-"

"We're here," Camilla called, pulling Marzia in for a dive across a small Hoshidan hamlet. Beruka promptly took the reigns, setting her wyvern on a similar course to her liege's.

* * *

"And not a moment too soon," Kamui mused, seeing two familiar wyverns land a few hundred feet away from his window. "Morgan, be forewarned; you might not uh... _agree_ with Big Sister's er, disposition. It's alright though. She's nice. Mostly."

"If you say so," Morgan nodded, watching as the purple-haired princess dismounted from her wyvern. "Whoa."

"She gets a bit scary, especially if you're not Papa," Kana added in.

"Scary is something I can handle."

The second wyvern landed, with two women dismounting in a less-graceful fashion. Their shouts could be heard all the way from the house, causing the trio inside to brighten.

"Ouch," Kamui laughed, watching Selena trip over Beruka as the latter held onto the saddle to prevent from joining her partner. "Those two are always at each other's throats."

_Sev?_

"So, Camilla... S-she's the purple-haired one, right? Who's the one with red hair?"

Kamui and Kana turned towards Morgan, the exile currently wrapped in limbo between confusion and disbelief. Answering his question, Kana kept an eye on her friend while Kamui just shook his head.

"That's... uh, I forgot. Beruka? No, that's the blue-haired one," Kana guessed, scratching her chin.

"Se... Se... something," Kamui offered. "She's a snarky one."

"Severa?" Morgan offered.

"What? No, that doesn't sound right. Why, do you know her?"

"I'm afraid so," Morgan gulped. "I might need to make myself scarce. She's likely to make a mess using me and her sword. Hmph, just when I'm starting to like this place."

"She's no joke with the blade," Kamui added. "I'm afraid I have nowhere to hide you, if that's what you're suggesting."

"Great," Morgan sighed, looking at his cloak suddenly. "This shabby thing is going to be a dead-giveaway. I hate to ask, but can I-"

"Kana, take Morgan upstairs. I think I have some regular clothes. It might be a bit big, but it'll do."

"T-thanks!" Morgan nodded rapidly, running upstairs with Kana.

* * *

Kana pulled a pale set of clothes from her Father's drawer, tossing them at the exile.

"Well? Hurry up and change!"

"I'd prefer you not stare."

"I'm not staring."

"Then why are you facing me?!"

"B-because..."

Kana trailed off, confused at her own situation.

"You have a good point," she corrected, promptly leaving the room. "Call if you need me!"

Morgan only laughed, relaxing a bit. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long while, and to be honest with himself, it felt wrong to do so.

_I don't deserve all this._

The door quickly opened again, but only Kana's arm peeked out.

"I have a feeling your hair is rather distinctive. Here."

In her grip was a dark blue bandana, the same one Kana wore around her neck during the festival. Morgan had seen enough to know that it was meant to be worn over one's head.

"Thanks?"

"Don't lose it," Kana warned. "I like it. A lot."

She waited long after Morgan grabbed the piece, her arm propping the door open even though she was still outside.

"Well?" Morgan asked.

"What?"

"You can't stare with your arms, so what are you doing?"

"J-just making sure you don't lose that bandana!"

"Then shouldn't you be watching?"

"I guess I should. Right- Oh. I'm not supposed to..."

"You catch on quick."

"I'll... be downstairs! Papa's gonna need help!"

The door shut, leaving Morgan alone once more in Kamui's room. Slowly, the king took off his only sign of royalty, replacing his Ylissean-Plegian clothes with the loosely flowing garb of a Hoshidan farmer. Liking the feel of coarse, simple fabric, Morgan let out his stress in a sigh, going back downstairs and tying the bandana over his head to cover his Exalted blue hair.

* * *

_Severa? This is where you've been?_

Morgan gulped and maintained a clear line of sight with Kana as he meandered around his old childhood companion.

"...would be nice if you could visit the orphanage some time, little Corrin."

"I wouldn't mind," Kamui responded, not reacting to his Nohrian name. "Kana, how about it?"

"I've never been to an orphanage before," Kana admitted. "I'd like to go visit!"

"I'm sure you would enjoy it, little princess," Camilla laughed, before turning to Morgan. "Oh, who's this?"

Upon hearing Camilla's question, Severa and Beruka turned to the exile, the former immediately raising her eyebrows.

"Milord, your laundry is all sorted and that gap in the window should be sealed," Morgan said with a sharp bow, eyes glued to the ground.

"Ah," Kamui caught on, Kana not too keen on what was happening. "Thank you. Oh, seeing as you've never met them before, I'd like to introduce you to my big sister, Camilla."

"An honor, milady," Morgan said with another bow, shying away from eye contact.

"You found yourself another retainer?" Camilla wondered to Kamui, ignoring Morgan for the time being.

"Just someone to handle the occasional housework, considering all the times Kana and I are away in the capitol now," Kamui reasoned. "Kaze and Silas can't be trusted with simple chores."

"I see," Camilla responded slowly, eyeing Morgan up and down before nodding. "What's your name?"

...

"Marc, milady."

"Marc. Hm. These are my retainers," Camilla announced proudly. "Beruka, and-"

"Selena," Severa responded quickly, not wanting her identity to be revealed once more.

"Pleased to meet you both," Morgan said with yet another bow.

"Yeah, likewise..." Severa muttered, keeping an eye on 'Marc.'

"Well, shall we go, seeing as the day lies young before us?" Camilla asked to Kamui, prompting the prince to nod.

"Sure. You three wouldn't mind Kana and M-Marc joining us, right?"

"My two darlings and yours? That'd be wonderful! After all, it leaves me and my dear Corrin together!"

"So it would seem. Marc, if you don't mind, Camilla and I are going to Shirasagi to handle some... politics. You and Kana can wander the capitol when you decide on joining us. Keep her out of trouble, okay?"

"Of course, milord," Morgan said with a nod. "I will protect her with my life."

Kana looked over to Morgan with a wry smile, and it took a surprising amount of effort from Morgan to not return it lest he blow cover.

"Selena, Beruka, do as you please until sundown. We should be done by then," Camilla ordered, opening the door and allowing Kamui to head out first, following right after.

"Of course, milady..." Selena trailed off, waiting for Camilla to leave before turning to Morgan. As the door closed, she slowly took its place, blocking the way out.

"So, Marc, where're you from?"

_Gods damn it._

"Excuse me?" Morgan stammered, buying some time.

"Oh, drop the act, man. Where're you from? Not from Hoshido, I'm guessing..."

_And to think I liked you and your cooking once upon a time. You're too clever for your own good._

"I was born in a small village outside of the capitol, but it was destroyed after Faceless razed it during the war. I worked in Shirasagi for a time, but-"

"That's great, that's great," Severa interrupted, circling around Morgan. "Have any... family?"

"Not anymore," Morgan replied without missing a beat. "I lost them during the war."

_Technically, not a lie._

"Hey, I don't know you that well, but stop picking on him! He's coming from a bad time in his life, and you've no reason to be like this!" Kana warned, standing up for her friend.

"It's fine, milady," Morgan laughed nervously, "I don't mind making... idle conversation. Especially with such charming individuals."

"I am not charming," Beruka clarified.

"Well I am, and I smell something fishy with you, 'Marc," Severa growled, poking Morgan in the chest, causing him to flinch slightly.

"I was tending to the fields this morning, so I suppose my hygiene is a bit offsetting," the farmer suggested, causing Severa to glare daggers at him.

"Can you stop?" Kana pleaded, physically standing between Morgan and Selena. "I don't want you two fighting, especially since you've just met!"

"Well, that isn't the case, is it? You recognize me, don'tcha?" Selena goaded, watching the exile for a reaction.

"Unless you were there when my parents died, I can't say I do."

"Maybe I was," the red-head suggested, stepping closer towards the slightly taller farmer. "I've watched a lot of people die."

"That's enough!" Kana interrupted, grabbing Morgan and pulling him back. "Get away from-"

"Princess. I insist that this is fine."

"Nuh-uh! She's going to hurt you!"

"We both know I deserve that," Morgan sighed. "Sorry for all this, Princess. She's got sharp eyes."

"So what's it gonna be, Marc?" Selena teased, "Don't you remember me?"

He glanced quickly to Kana, nodding slowly before she backed away.

"I know a girl who looked like you. Her parents died in the same war that mine did."

"A-and what else?" Selena stammered, struggling to maintain the act.

"Her name was Severa. We were good friends, once."

"S-so what happened?"

"I betrayed her trust," Morgan replied simply, lowering his head in shame.

"..."

"I'm afraid that's all I have, miss Selena. I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear."

"So I was right, then. You survived."

"If you're here to kill me," Morgan sighed, taking the bandana off, "just don't do it in front of Kana."

"What's stopping me from doing it right now?" Severa yelled, drawing her sword. Beruka and Kana both flew in to stop the redhead, disarming her instantly. "Hey, lemme go!"

"Do you have a way back to Ylisse?" Morgan asked, pacifying Severa instantly with his question.

"N-no... Not anymore."

"Can we talk?" Morgan asked to Kana and Beruka, the latter nodding blankly while the former looked at him in question.

"She's going to kill you!"

"Maybe. But not yet," Morgan promised, giving the bandana back.

"Not yet," Severa affirmed.

* * *

"Inigo was killed. Died with Prince Xander, in the final day of the war."

"...Dammit."

"Why are you alive, and not him?" Severa asked, more to the gods than to Morgan himself.

"I don't know. I don't deserve it," the prince admitted, kicking the sand before looking back to Severa. "But Ylisse is at peace. That's why I'm here."

"What, to ruin this country too? It's seen enough-"

"I'm here to fade into history as a nobody. I'm done trying to resurrect my parents and save Ylisse. Lucina handled the latter just fine."

"Lucina's... alive?"

"Yes. She misses you. All three of you."

Severa faltered, looking skyward and letting a long sigh out.

"So Ylisse... is green again? Are there graves for all who've fallen? Flowers for every destroyed in the war?"

"That's oddly specific."

"Answer the question!"

"Yes."

"And Plegia?"

"She'll find a better king."

"And you?"

"If you're going to kill me, now's a good time. Kana's not here to see it."

"Are you and Kana..."

"She's the closest thing I have to a friend, actually. I haven't been here long."

"And yet the three of us have been here for almost three years," Severa mused, fiddling with her sleeve. "Owain must've gotten home safely. I gave him my way home for his daughter, leaving me here. And Inigo, well..."

"If you want to go back," Morgan offered, taking off his necklace. "This necklace should plant you right on Ylisstol's doorstep. Anna gave it to me in the chance I had a change of heart."

"It was meant for you? Oh... If you ever wanted to return to your sister," Severa realized.

"I'm not."

The mercenary took the necklace, pinning it around her own neck before shaking her head.

"My duty is to Lady Camilla. I am not Lucina's retainer, not yet. Not... ever."

"That necklace looks better on you than me," Morgan sighed, turning away. "If you ever change your mind, at least you have a way again."

Severa slowly drew her sword, twirling it before leveling it towards Morgan. The exile didn't bother moving, instead looking up at the sky.

"Before you do your thing, if you ever talk to Luci again, can you tell her that I couldn't keep my promise?"

"What? Are you trying to distract me?"

"Yeah. Just tell Lucina that I broke my promise, and I'm not coming back. That's all."

"What promise?"

"Don't worry about it! Just... just do it."

Severa lowered the sword, groaning in exasperation as she sat back down on the crates where she previously was.

"You always were a weird kid."

Morgan cocked an eyebrow, lowering his gaze just in time to see Severa drop her stance.

"..."

"But I don't think you were a bad one," Severa admitted, sheathing her sword. "If anyone deserves a second chance, it's you."

"W-what?"

"Back then, before everything happened, you think we didn't catch onto your plan? Honestly... when you first set out, I was hoping you'd succeed. You seemed so determined, so driven... it seemed right, what you were doing. At least before you started the war."

"But that's-"

"IF, and that was a big if, you did manage in finding a way in reviving our dead parents to save Ylisse, I wanted you to do it for all of us. I wanted my mother and father back, and you could've done that. You could've..."

"That wasn't my promise. That was Grima's, and look where it got us. Where it got me."

"Yeah... but here you are, starting over to live a seemingly peaceful life. I should kill you, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I can't remember seeing you smile at home like the way you did at Kana. Lucina would never forgive me if I ended you now. She already went through that pain once, from what you've told me."

"Should I thank you?"

"I'd like that."

"Then thanks, Severa. I suppose you need something from me in return-"

"Oh, don't you worry your blue-haired head. You have quite the infamous reputation with promises, and I'll come asking for favors. But for now... I think you should join us as we go to Shirasagi. It's a gorgeous place this time of year."

"You're right about that," Morgan agreed. "You seem to like this place."

"I've bled for it. I've bled for her people. You'd understand, right, 'King?''

* * *

"Hey."

Kana turned to see Morgan standing in the doorway, Selena right behind him. Beruka raised her eyebrows at seeing the otherwise pristine condition of Morgan's body, though the blue-haired man only smiled back.

"You're not dead," Kana stated matter-of-factly.

"He tends to do that from time to time," Selena chided, sneaking in past Morgan and entering Kamui's house. "Let's head to the capitol, 'Ruka."

"I would prefer you not use our designated nicknames in public," the assassin requested while handing Selena's bag to her. "What about them?"

"They'll follow. He likes to walk."

"And Princess Kana?"

"He'll take care of her, won't you, farmer boy?"

"Lord Kamui is my liege, and that wasn't a lie," Morgan vowed, standing next to Kana. "He ordered me to watch his daughter, and that I'll do."

"Oh. Very well. Milady, we shall see you in the capitol," Beruka briefed, turning to head outside.

"Y-yeah," Kana replied, waving the two off. "Well, I guess it's just you and me then."

* * *

"I wasn't under the impression that you considered me a friend," Kana began, walking alongside Morgan on the trail to Shirasagi.

"I wasn't under the impression that you were eavesdropping," Morgan countered. "But I do, nonetheless."

"Never had many friends growing up, especially with my father being so closed off. I'm glad to have met you, King Morgan"

"And I you, Princess Kana."

* * *

"We've got the whole day here," Selena exclaimed, twirling around and spinning a less-enthusiastic Beruka around her.

"I suppose Princess Kana and Marc are not to join us?" Beruka asked even after being spun about.

"Of course not. I can't stand them. And it's Morgan, not Marc."

"Lady Camilla will not be pleased-"

"She won't care. C'mon. We're gonna go shopping! For _them_ , of course!"

* * *

"Huh. I thought for sure they were going to wait for us," Kana sighed, looking around for the Nohrian duo. Morgan shrugged, still in his simple garb.

Typical of Severa to bail.

"Guess it's just us then," the farmer observed, looking around the entrance to Shirasagi.

"Uh... yeah," Kana laughed, not disappointed in the slightest. "So, what now?"

"Hm..."

"How about you decide?" Kana suggested, taking a seat on a nearby bench. "Your treat."

"You're asking me, Princess. I just got here yesterday. You know this place a little better than I."

Kana pondered for a moment, stretching out her legs on the bench.

"Well, we just ate, and the market stalls don't open until after lunch anyway. Though... I know another place."

"Lead the way."

"I'm not sure you'll fully appreciate it," Kana explained suddenly, "but I always go here when we visit the capitol. Maybe you might understand us a little better after this."

* * *

Morgan followed Kana across Shirasagi square, finally walking through a pair of scarlet gates into a vast field of cherry blossoms. It stretched nearly to the horizon, with each tree arranged in its respective row and column. All in all, there had to be thousands of them.

"Whoa."

"It's... pretty, isn't it?" Kana asked softly, walking between the trees. Morgan noticed symbols etched onto each one's trunk, but kept quiet.

"I've never seen anything like this before," the King admitted quietly. "It's quite the sight."

Kana hummed her agreement, running her hand along each tree as she walked by.

"Hoshido and Nohr have been at an on-and-off war for hundreds of years. Each tree you see here represents one or two people who've lost their lives in this conflict."

Morgan stopped, realizing what Kana was about to show him.

"Y-you don't have to do this. I-"

"Is this too selfish of me?" Kana asked suddenly, making Morgan realize her eyes reddening. "I know I'm pressing myself on you like this, but..."

"Lead the way," Morgan replied, nodding his approval for Kana.

"T-thanks."

Hundreds of names unreadable to Morgan blurred by as he and Kana walked further and further into the cemetery, finally ending near the far side. A simple lance of Nohrian design stood upright in the soil, its owner's name freshly engraved on the Sakura's trunk.

_She doesn't want her mother to be forgotten._

"Hey Mama. I... brought someone."

Morgan stayed quiet as Kana knelt beside the tree, wiping the tears from her eyes as she placed her forehead against the base in reverence.

"His name's Morgan. He's helping Papa in the house and... he's my friend now. You always said I'd make a lot of friends..."

The sky seemed to darken in response, and Kana stifled a sob as she turned to face Morgan.

"Thanks for coming. This means so much to me..."

"This is what you meant," Morgan realized, his fingers trembling at the thought. "I'm glad you showed me this."

"How many people walk by this tree, I wonder?" Kana whispered, stroking the surface with her hands. "How many people read 'Azura' and have no idea who that name represents?"

"One less, now that you've shared this with me."

"C-can you say her name?"

Morgan almost raised his eyebrows, but kept them stable out of respect for both Kana and her deceased mother.

"Huh?"

"I know this is... _weird_. But Papa said once that people don't really die until their forgotten. I was hoping that you, someone who never knew my mother, could well... you know..."

Morgan nodded, looking up at the plaque which was engraved with both Hoshidan and Nohrian characters, the latter of which he could read.

"Azura; Gentle Princess, Loving Wife, Dutiful Mother, Honorable Hero."

Kana instantly smiled, wiping away the tears that came with that gesture.

"Thank you."

"Can I ask you a favor?" Morgan asked, his eyes closed.

"Of course."

"I never properly buried my parents, and the war I incited must've trampled whatever dignified rest they had... but..."

"What were their names?"

"Chrom and Robin," Morgan whispered, the names foreign to him.

"Chrom and Robin," Kana repeated, each syllable precise and heartfelt.

Morgan looked skyward, a deep frown lining his lips.

"I don't deserve any of this, knowing what I've done," he sighed. "I'm dishonoring your mother just by saying her-"

"Stop it."

"But-"

"If you keep holding onto your past, how do you expect to make a future for yourself?"

"What if I don't want to anymore? I should've died and let the history books portray me as the villain that I am."

Kana narrowed her eyes, shaking her head angrily.

"...Then leave. We've met for a day- not even that. But if you _honestly_ don't feel the same emotions that I do towards you, then I can't do anything for you. No one else has bothered to talk to me the way that you have, besides my immediate family. My father and I see so much good in your heart, despite your past, that we agreed to keep you with us and help you recover. If you don't realize that..."

"Kana..."

"I can't thank you enough for coming with me to visit my mother, but I was hoping you'd realize something within your heart by coming with me. If you're going to keep jumping between believing in yourself and wishing you were dead, then you're only wasting the opportunity you were given!"

Morgan paused, before nodding sadly and rising to his feet.

"So that's your answer? To leave!?"

Morgan didn't need to turn to see that Kana's tears were renewed.

_Pathetic and worthless is what I am. What kind of scum makes his only friend cry next to her mom's grave?_

The king didn't reply, only walking away and reaching for the crystal at his-

_Severa._

He stopped a few feet away, and Kana noticed the silence when he halted his steps and turned hopefully.

"I have no right to hurt you like this."

"What?"

"You lost a brother and a mother. But as long as my heart beats, you'll always have a friend. I swore an oath to serve your father, and I'll do the same for you."

Kana lit up, rising to stand face to face with the exiled prince.

"You promise?" she asked, smiling.

_Don't you dare break this one._

"I promise."

* * *

"I figured I'd find her here," Kamui whispered, watching Kana and Morgan sit by Azura's grave. Camilla, Beruka, and Selena were with him, keeping quiet as the two seemed to be napping.

"Looks like Morgan's finally himself again," Selena noted, shaking her head at the boy she used to know. "You'll like him."

"Oh I do," Camilla observed. "And so does little Kana."


End file.
